Digital age affects family time and relationships

Digital age affects family time and relationships

After reading this article, I wanted to look at the changes in the way we communicate with our families from a positive perspective. Living in Calgary, thousands of kilometers from my family, technology has been a life saver. "Advances in technology during the middle of the past century reflect just how gradually change use to occur" (Thomas & Brown, 2011, p. 40). Many options beyond phone calls and letter mail are now available, all within an extremely short period of time, relatively speaking.
While I still write letters (yes, handwritten and mailed via Canada Post!) with a dear aunt, and with phone calls still being a high priority at least once a week with family, newer forms of technology have opened many opportunities and possibilities for keeping me close with the ones I love.
Because of Face Time, watching my nephew grow up has been exciting despite the fact that I do not see him often, in person. Seeing each other in real time, from a multitude of devices, allows us to keep in touch wherever we are (home, traveling, etc.) without having to be at home in front of a laptop on Skype (although Skype is great too!). The convenience of being able to communicate with my family in such a powerful way results in me often 'forgetting' how far away I am from them. New technologies really make them feel so much closer than 'a phone call away.'
Digital photos have become a huge form of communication from my sister in law. She has created a digital archive of my nephew, taking a photo of him in the same chair every month in an effort to document his growth, then instantly uploading it for me and her snow-bird parents to see. She also sends me other random shots of him doing something silly, looking super cute in a new outfit, or even using a toy or book that I have sent him.
Text messaging has allowed for quick 'on-the-run' chats with family and friends, reducing the amount of time that would be invested via a phone call. The asynchronous nature of texting works for many communications, whether it is simply checking in and saying hello, or sending a funny quip read in the paper or daily anecdote. Responding immediately is rarely expected, which works well when time differences are a factor.
With travels in my foreseeable future, technology will be of great use for keeping in touch with family and friends. With communication being possible across international boarders (for free!), I have a wide range of options to choose from: Blogging, email, Skype, Google chat, to name but a few. Gone are the days of touching base with loved ones every couple of weeks because of phone call costs or time differences. Again, the asynchronous nature of many technologies allows for participation when it is convenient, with participation by both parties not having to be at the same time.
Even locally, with lives becoming so busy, and the city being so vast geographically, it can be hard at times to keep in touch with local friends. Texting, email, and face time have become great modes for keeping in touch when its just not possible to get together in person or perhaps chat via the phone.
While I do utilize many forms of communication technology in my daily life, I do make an effort to remember that texts are not always 'urgent,' and that I have voicemail for a reason. When I travel for the weekend, I leave my phone at home, serving as a reminder that being connected 24 hours a day, every day is a convenience, not a necessity. Finding a balance with all things in life is a constant struggle and an admirable goal - technology use falls under this philosophy as well.
As the "world roils in a state of constant flux" I eagerly await the newest communications technology (Thomas & Brown, 2011, p. 40). I realize that when "change comes slowly, adaptation is easy," yet I eagerly await the newest technology and adapt as best and as quickly as I can if it means that communication is enhanced with the ones I love (Thomas & Brown, 2011, p. 42).

Cheers,
Theresa